The University of Virginia Jewish Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes Jewish civilization and community. In coursework with over 25 faculty members from diverse departments and in extracurricular lectures, colloquia and cultural programs, students learn to examine all aspects of Jewish society, literature, language, culture, and history.

The cross-fertilization of ideas is an inherent part of the Jewish Studies Program. Jewish theory of community, for example, sheds light on our understanding of social organizations. Furthermore, studies of the interpretive practices in the Jewish tradition mesh well with the current interest in reading and textual analysis. Jewish Studies can also provide a context for understanding the long history of relations among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures. The nature of the Jewish experience and the methods of Jewish thought are in their essence multidisciplinary. As a result, the Jewish Studies program raises the level of scholarship and inquiry at the University, thereby opening new and promising avenues for research and education.

Students who have studied in the program have gone on to pursue a variety of paths. Thus far, they include rabbincial school, graduate school, research, governmental work, and education.

Undergraduates may major or minor in Jewish studies; they may also choose Judaism as their area of primary or secondary concentration in the Department of Religious Studies. All UVa students and community members (through the Community Scholars Program) may enroll in individual classes in Jewish Studies. Graduate students may work towards the MA or PhD in Modern Judaism through the Department of Religious Studies.

For more information, visit the Jewish Studies Program's website at http://www.virginia.edu/jewishstudies/.